Mold for fiber pulp and the like



AUX 22, 1933- F. s. FARLEY OLD FOR FIBER PULP AND THE LIKE Filed May 7. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY F iwshrley,

Aug. 22, 1933.

F. S. FARLEY MOLD FOR FIBER PULP AND THE LIKE Filed May 7. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY fz/ug TORNEYS.

Aug. 22, 1933. F. s. FARLEY MOLD FOR FIBER PULP AND THE LIKE F'iled- May 7, 1930 4 Shee'tSfSheet 3 36h sa mvENToR F ancisFarZey BY Ay( NEY Aug. 22, 1933.

MOLD FOR FIBER PULP AND THE LIKE Filed May '7, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 y mvENToR BY F ouzczs/ I K AT NEY I F. s. FARLEY 1,923,431 y Patented Aug. 22,Y 1933 UNITED vSTATES i.irri-:rrrU OFFICE MOLD Foa FIBER PULP AND THE LIKE Francis S. Farley, Trenton, N. J.; assignerV to Daniel Manson Sutherland, Jr., Morrisville,v

Application May 7, 1930. Serial No.l 450,539

. 14 Claims.

without permitting any substantialv escape or loss '0` of pulp; while as regards drainage, I aim to provide free escape for the water from the pulp after the mold is fully charged', while preventing any prematureescapa-which might interfere with uniform charging and result in defective cr unhomogeneous board. l f

How these* and other advantages can be realized through the invention will appear from my description hereinafterof selected and preferred forms of air vent and water-'lock arrangements.

In the drawings, Fig. I shows a vertical section through a portion of a mold equipped with'a convenient form of apparatus for the purposes of my invention. 4

Fig. II shows a horizontalsection" through the apparatus, taken as indicated by the line and arrowsII-II in Fig. I.

Fig. IIa is a detail sectional View, likewise taken as indicatedy by the arrows II-II in Fig. I, drawn to the same scale as the latter illustra--v tion, andv more limitedy in scope than Fig. II.

Fig'. III is a fragmentary crosssection taken as indicated by the arrowsIII-III in Figs. I and II.

Fig". IV is' a View' similar to Fig. I illustrating a somewhat diiierent form of apparatus for venting the air from the mold'.

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. IV, showing the parts in different' positions.

Fig. VI' shows a horizontall section taken as indicated by the line and arrows VI-VI in Fig.

Fig; VII is a plan view of the apparatus of Figs; IV4 to4 y Fig; VIII is-a View similartoFig. I, illustrating' o, a somewhat'diierent form of apparatus for'draining the pulp-from the water in the mold. y

Fig. 115C-isa View at right angles toFig. VIII, partly iny elevation and part-ly in vertical section', as indicated by the` line and' arrows- IX-IX in- Fig. VIII, .showing` the parts a in-` different positions.

Fig. X shows a horizontal section taken as indicatedby the: llinel and! arrows X--;Xr in Fig. VIII.

In 1ii'g..I` of! theidrawii'igs `l areshown the prin-A cipal partsfof aV mold-1 for" forming raw sheets of?V ber pulp;` which sheets'v may afterward be compacted: andi' driedl into: nb'er board? useful for building, for thermal insulation or sound insulation, orfor other purposes.

As here shown, the mold comprises a bed or bottom 1'0, a top` 11 and amargirial wallorv deckle 512.V The top 11, which is shown suspended by links 13, can be adjusted up or down to vary' the verticali dimension and capacity of the mold cavity 15,-` so'as to control the thickness of the fiber board ultimately produced. It can be lowered -or depressed tosqueeze the water out of the'pulp and' bring the fiberstogether into amore or l'esscohesivesl'ieet, and can also' be raised to permit removal of this sheet. I-he deckle 12 can` likewise be raisedv to open up the mold` for removal of the formed raw sheet. Tightness of the joints is provided for by packings 16,` 17 on. the margin of thel'nedE 130 and the lower edge of the deekle 1-2', and by packing 18 on the lower-corners of the-top 11. Asshown, the packing 18" bears against plates' 19' in which the air vent ports' are cut. AAn" air outlet 20 is shown in the deckle 12' to permit free egress ofair from the mold cavity 15 while the latter is being vcharged with pulp which enters through gate controlled ports' 15a at opposite sides of the mold from hoppers 15b, see Figs. II and III.' A drainage outlet for water squeezed out of the pulp by depressionL of the -inold topill is afforded by channels 2l leading toa discharge passage in a header 22 secured to the edge of the bed.- A` pervious moldbottom consisting of a perforated? plate 23 over the channels 21 prevents the pulp bers from getting into the chan-j nels 2l and clogging them up, while allowing free passage of the water. Asshown, there is an unperforated marginal extension of the cover plate or sheet 23 over the otherwise open top of the header 22, secured to its outer edge. Wires 25 are shown on top of the plate 23, adapted to serve as a travelling belt to carry away the pulp sheetV after the mold has beenA opened up.

`While the mold is closed, these wires 25 lieem-' bedded? in the corresponding packings (not shown).

y As' shown in Fig. I,` the air outlet 20' leadsY to' a cylindrical air discharge and liquid drainage chamber 26 mounted on the deckle 1 2; This chamber 26 is freely vented to the atmospherev through' a grating 27 across its otherwise open top. VThe vertical dimension of theV outlet 20] where it opens'through the deckle l2" is such as t0 cover the full range of verticalV adjustments; of the mold top 11', so as always to afford ani air outlet from the upper region lof the mold ,cavity 152 A barrier 28V affords an overflow for 26 assures tight joints.

top of the cylinder 30 allows free discharge-of' liquid from the outlet 20 at a height slightly above the highest adjusted position of the mold top 11, so that no pulp can escape through the outlet 20 until the mold cavity l5 is completely lled. As here shown, the barrier 23 is dened by the lower edge of a port 29 in a drainage connection cylinder 30 extending up into the chamber 26, which cylinder 30 in the "present instanceforms or closes the'bottomof the air discharge and liquid drainage chamber at 26. A packing 30a: in the lower part of the chamber An opening 3l in the air intothe open-topped chamber 26, anda pipe 32 connected into the bottom of the cylinderQ, affords a discharge for liquid (pulp o r water) to any convenient point.

As here shown, thereis a curved -pipe connec-V tion 33 from the water discharge outlets 21and header 22, leading downward and then up through the bottom of the cylinder 30, with an' upright extension 34within the cylinder. From the pipe 34 there is an overflow 35 into the in terior -of the cylinder 30, dened bythe lower edge of a port 36 in the upstanding pipe 34. The bottom edge 35 of the port 35 is just below the level of the lower side of the perforated plate 23. `Port 36k and the overliow at 35 are controlled by a valve sleeve 37 aroundthe pipe 34, provided with ports 38 and'39. The valve 37Vis connected tothe top mold llby a cable 40, extending over pulleys4l, and provided with a turnbuckle 42 as a Ineansofadjustment. A helical compression spring 43 may be provided between the top of the cylinder 30and a flange 44 on the valve 37, to reinforce gravity in depressing the valve. The valve 37 has guide slots 45 for pins 46 on the pipe 34, to insureV proper correspondence of the ports 36, 33. The upper ends of pipe 34 and valve sleeve 37 are open, to permit free venting o'ain-or'. even overow j of liquid, in case of need. As shown, there is a arrangements shown in Figs. I-IV is as follows:v

The mold top l1 having been adjusted to the proper height for the ultimate board Ythickness desired, the mold is` charged'rwithpulp admitted through ports 15min the end walls (Figs. II and III)` of the mold. As the pulp enters, the air escapes at 20, passing through the port 29 and the opening 31 to the upperpart. of the air discharge chamber 26 and its grated opening at 27 to the atmosphere, and some of the pulp enters the outlet 20 and may even overflow at 28 into the lower end of the cylinder 30.

The mold top Il is now lowered or depressed, thus forcing the water from the pulp out through the holes inthe plate23 and the subjacent channels 21 into the header 22, and thence down and up into the pipe 34. As the, mold top 11 descends,

, the valve 37 necessarily rises, andthe port 38 in the valve comes over the port 36 in thepipe 34,

bei' 26. The cylinder 30, being xed to the base 10, remains stationary, and thus in effect slides out of the chamber 26, virtually lowering the barrier 28 so that the pulp trapped in the outlet 20 has a chance to overflow into the cylinder 30 and escape through the pipe 32. Then the mold top 11 is raised, andthe ber sheet that has been formed is loosened from the mold top and allowed to fall ontheconveyor wires 25, which are put in motion to carry the sheet out of the mold on its way to the next stage of treatment.

` Thereupon the parts may be returned to their positions shown' in Fig. I, and the mold may be recharged with pulp, etc., as before.

It willbe understood that in practice the whole structure shown in Fig. I may be duplicated at the other side or end of the mold cavity 15, to aord a -freer and more uniform discharge for air and water.

Figs. IV, V, VI and VII illustrated a waterlock arrangement similar tov that of Figs. I and II, but l without the `air-vent features. Here the liquid drainage chamber 26a is attached directly to the pipe 33a from the header 22, so that water from the header 22 enters the annular space in the chamber 26d around the upright pipe 34a and ultimately overflows into the pipe 34a over the lower edge 35a of the po1t36a in said pipe 34a, which is connected directly to the discharge pipe The cylinder 30 of Figs. I and II is omitted altogether.

Other parts and features are marked with the same reference characters as in Figs. I and II, as a means of dispensing with merely repetitivedescription.

In Fig. IV, the mold top 11 is shown in its lowermost position, with a fully formed pulp sheet 15d between it and the forarninous member 23,Y and with the ports 36a, 38a open to permitcverow oi water from the chamber 26a into the outlet pipe 34a. In Fig. V, the valve'sleeve 37a is shown in its lowermost position, with the port 36a closed. The operation is the same as described above in reference to the Watenlock features of Figs. I and II.

In Figs. VIII, IX and X is shown an air vent arrangementl similar to that of Figs. I and II, but without` the waterlock features. Here the air' dischargechamber 26h and its central upstanding pipe 30?) correspond to the chamber 26 of Figs. I and II, and the vertical drain pipe 36h corresponds to the, drainage cylinder 36 of Figs.

I and'IL-being connected to the discharge 321). As shown, the lowerend of the chamber 26h is provided with a stuing box 51 through which the pipe 30h slides. The pipe 30h has a port 29h corresponding tothe port 29 in Figs. I and II, and the pipe 56h has a port'52b adapted to overlap the port 29h when the chamber 26h rises with the deckle 12, thus allowing complete discharge of pulp from thechamber 26h and the outlet 20.

As herein shown, the outlet 20 has a lateral clean-r out opening normally closed by a detachable cover plateA 2Gb. A flexible waterv connection 53h is shown to the rupper end of the chamber 2Gb, as a means of washingout dried pulp that might possibly collect therein under the grating 27. The chamber 26h is further fitted at the bottom with a valve 54h for draining off the wash water subsequently. I i

Various parts and features here shown are marked with the same reference characters asin Figs. I and II, as a means .of dispensing with repetitive description. The operation ,of the device is the same as above, described inconnection,

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with the air vent features shown in Figs. I. and II. Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet and an air vent outlet, a top depressible to squeeze out the water,

and a part movable up and down to open the mold mold for removal of the formed product and to close it for charging with pulp, of a chamber connected with said part to move up and down therewith and vented to the atmosphere above the top of the mold cavity, a connection sliding out of and into said chamber as the chamber moves up and down, and thereby opened to drain oi water from air vent and closed 'to permit charging oi the chamber with pulp, a drain pipe upstanding in chamber with an overi'low opening below the level of said water drainage outlet, a vaive sleeve cooperating with said pipe, and means actuated by said mold top to raise and lower said sleeve and thereby open and close said overflow opening.

3. Ihe combination with a ber pulp mold having a movable wall and a controllable water drainage outlet, of means controlled by movement of said wall for closing said outlet while the mold is being charged with pulp and for opening it to .ermit the water from the pulp to drain away.

li. The combination with a ber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet and a top depressible to squeeze out the water, of means actuated by the movements of said top to open and close said outlet.

5. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet, oi? automatic valve means for shutting off said outlet from the mold cavity while the mold is being charged with pulp, and an overflow into said outlet above the top of the mold cavity.

6. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet directly from its cavity, of a drainage chamber with connection to said outlet extending to a lower level, an overow at level intermediate said lower level and that of said outlet, and another overow from said chamber at alevel above the top of the mold cavity.

7. The combination with a iiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet directly from its cavity, of a drainage chamber with connection to said outlet extending to a lowerlevel, an overiiow at a level intermediate said lower level and that of said outlet, and automatic valve means for closing said overflow while the mold is being charged with pulp.

8. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet directly from its cavity, of a drainage chamber with connection to said outlet extending to a lower level, an overflow vat a level intermediate said lower level and that of said outlet, and means for automatically limiting overflow to a level above the top of the mold cavity while the latter is being charged with Y pulp.

9. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having a water drainage outlet directly from its cavity and a top depressible to squeeze out the water, of a drainage .chamber connected to said outlet, a drain pipe upstanding in said chamber withan overow opening below the level of said outlet, a valve sleeve cooperating with said pipe, and means for raising and lowering said valve sleeve as said mold top is depressed and raised, so as to open and close said overflow opening. v

10. The combination with a liber pulp mold having an outlet from the upper region of the mold cavity, of a discharge overflow from said outlet at a level above the top of the mold cavity, and an air vent from a still higher level.

ll. The combination with a ber pulp mold having an outlet from the upper region of the mold cavity, of a chamber'communicating kwith said outlet and vented to the atmosphere, and

a discharge overflow from said chamber at a level abovethe top of the mold cavity.

12. The combination with a fiber pulp mold having an outlet from the upper region of the mold cavity, oi a chamber connected to said outlet and vented to the atmosphere at a level above the top or the mold cavity, and means for opening a drainage connection from said outlet through said chamber when the mold is opened.

13. The combination with a ber pulp mold having a part movable up and down to open the mold for removal of the formed product and to close it for charging with pulp, of a chamber connected with said part to move up Aand down with it and also communicating with the upper region of the mold cavity and vented to the atmosphere at a higher level, and a drainage connection opened and closed by the up and down movement of the chamber. f

li4. The combination with a ber pulp mold having a part movable up and down to open the mold for removal of the formed product and to close it for charging with pulp, of a chamber mounted on said part communicating with `the upper region of the mold cavity and ventedto the atmosphere at ahigher level, and a drainage connection sliding out of and into said ychamber as the chamber moves up and down, and thereby y opened and closed. FRANCIS S. FARLEY. 

